Mercury Drug founder Mariano Que dies at 96

Dr. Mariano Que. PHOTO FROM MERCURY DRUG

The founder of Mercury Drug, Dr. Mariano Que, died on Good Friday, the drug store chain announced in its social media pages. He was 96.

It also requested those who would like to send flowers to the late founder to instead give donations to the company’s nonprofit organization, Mercury Drug Foundation, Inc.

“In lieu of flowers, a donation to your favorite charitable institution will be much appreciated,” it wrote.

Que began his corporate journey after World War II in 1945. Filipinos, who had just suffered through a devastating war, had very limited access to medicine at that time.

With his P100, Que bought a bottle of the wonder drug Sulfathiazole, and sold it piece by piece using a pushcart on the streets of Sta. Cruz.

He later put up the first Mercury drugstore on Bambang in Manila with his savings. Today, the drug store chain has more than 1,000 outlets that provide medicine 24/7.

Que in 2015 received an honorary doctorate degree from the University of Santo Tomas.

UST bestowed upon him a Doctor of Humanities degree for being the pioneering spirit behind the pharmaceutical retail industry in the Philippines and his continued advocacy of providing affordable medicine and assistance to needy Filipinos.

“I lived my life doing what I think was needed to be done,” he said upon receiving the honorary degree.

READ: Mariano Que on living life to the full

Que’s daughter, Vivian Azcona, currently runs Mercury Drug, and serves as the president of the largest pharmaceutical retail company in the country.

No further details about Que’s death have been disclosed as of this writing. With a report from Jodee Agoncillo/IDL